By Editorial Dept - Aug 14, 2026, 7:00 AM CDT
Syrian oil is clawing its way back, methodically. Onshore, the immediate issue is returning Syria’s existing oil production to Damascus. Most producing fields are concentrated in Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah in the northeast, territory Damascus lost during the civil war, eventually to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).Courtesy of a January military offensive against the SDF, Damascus has recovered the most important Deir ez-Zor assets, including the largest (Omar), the Tanak oil field, and the Conoco gas field. The Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) then restarted the transfer of crude from Omar and Tanak to the Baniyas refinery.Damascus has already taken control of the main Hasakah oil assets, including Rmeilan and Sweidiya. SPC teams began taking them over in February, and crude from Rmeilan and Sweidiya began moving to the Homs and Baniyas refineries in March. HKN Energy was preparing to begin operations at the government-controlled Rmeilan fields by June. Gulfsands separately confirms that SPC took custody of Khurbet East and Yousefieh in late February/early March.ConocoPhillips has already returned, in a June agreement with SPC and Novaterra Energy to rehabilitate existing onshore gas fields and develop new production. They are targeting an additional 4 million to 5 million cubic meters of gas per day within the first year, equivalent to roughly 140 million to 170 million cubic feet per day. MEES describes it as SPC’s largest upstream development…
